India adds nearly 20,000 Covid cases in highest single-day spike
NEW DELHI: In yet another highest-ever single-day spike of COVID-19 cases, India recorded close to 20,000 fresh infections for the first time in the last 24 hours on Sunday taking the total tally to 5,28,859, while the death toll rose to 16,095.
However, the recoveries exceeded active cases by over one lakh-mark as till date 3,09,713 patients have been cured against 2,03,051 active cases.
In the last 24 hours, 13,832 patients have been cured while 19,906 new cases have been added to the total tally and 410 new deaths reported. The recovery rate has improved to 58.56 per cent while the death rate has reduced to 3.04 per cent. Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has tested a total of 82,27,802 samples, which includes 2,31,095 samples being tested in the last 24 hours, which is the highest in a day since the beginning of the pandemic. The testing facilities have been ramped up to 1,036. Of the total 16,095 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 7,429 deaths, followed by Delhi with 2,623 deaths among others.
Maharashtra reported the biggest single-day spike of 5,493 COVID-19 cases so far on Sunday, which took the tally of patients in the state to 1,64,626, a health official said. The state also reported deaths of 156 Coronavirus positive patients, due to which the number of victims grew to 7,429, the official said.
Of the 156 fatalities reported on Sunday, 60 had taken place in the last 48 hours, while the remaining patients had succumbed to the infection before that, although COVID-19 was not mentioned as the cause of their deaths earlier, he said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the lockdown curbs in
the state will continue beyond June 30. In a televised address, Thackeray ruled out easing the restrictions, adding the state still faces Coronavirus threat. “Will lockdown be lifted after June 30? The clear answer is no,” Thackeray said.
Delhi recorded 2,889 fresh cases on Sunday, taking the tally in the city over the 83,000mark, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 2,623, authorities said.
On June 23, the national Capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947, cases till date. Recently, Delhi had eclipsed Mumbai as the city worst-hit by the pandemic in the country. Sixty-five fatalities have been recorded in the
last 24 hours, the Delhi health department bulletin said on Sunday. The death toll from COVID-19 in Delhi stood at 2,558 on Saturday.
The bulletin said the death toll from Coronavirus infection has risen to 2,623, and the total number of cases mounted to 83,077.
In West Bengal, 572 new positive cases, 404 recoveries and 10 deaths have been reported on Sunday. The total number of positive cases stand at 17,283, according to the state health department.
The Manipur government on Sunday extended the lockdown in the state for another 15 days from July 1 to 15.